Dadu Dayal (1544–1603), a compassionate poet-saint from Rajasthan, founded the Dadu Panth and advocated Nirgun Bhakti, devotion to the formless, attributeless God. A strong critic of ritualism, priestcraft, and expensive religious practices, he emphasised simple, sincere devotion, moral living, and inner purity. Through his dohas and teachings, he promoted social harmony and spiritual equality, influencing the Sant tradition and enriching Hindi devotional literature in Rajasthan and North India.